[ Inscrivez-vous ]

Newsletter, Alertes

Uganda’s national carrier readies for inaugural flight

27 Août 2019

Kampala, Uganda, August 27 (Infosplusgabon) – Preparations for the re-launch of Uganda Airlines, the national carrier for the East African country, are complete and its first flight will take off on Tuesday, the airline’s officials have announced.

The national airline by the same name folded in 2001 following abuse by its managers and public officials who habitually flew it without paying for tickets, leaving it heavily indebted. The airline would, as a result, not service its fleet or acquire new aircraft, forcing it out of business.

President Yoweri Museveni, the country’s leader since 1986, promised in his 2016 re-election manifesto that he would relaunch the national carrier, and the exercise is seen by some as a political project, especially since Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania, three of the country’s neighbours, all have national carriers and competition is likely to be stiff.

Announcing the preparations for the inaugural flight, the company said Monday: “Tomorrow Uganda Airlines will hold an inaugural flight to Nairobi, Kenya. On the flight will be Government officials, members of the business community, media and our other partners. This is in preparation for our maiden flight slated for August 28.”

The airline will kick off with regional flights with the view of launching international flights at the end of the year.